#LoveRomance – Untamed by Anna Cowan, challenging romance stereotypes

If there’s one Australian romance author that could have been invited to the Sydney Writers’ Festival, we think it’s Anna Cowan.

This week, we’re asking readers who plan to attend SWF to leave specially designed postcards at common areas, empty seats and any other places that other attendees might serendipitously find them. If you plan to attend SWF and would like to help out by leaving postcards in places other readers might find them, send an email to kat@bookthingo.com.au.

Our first #loveromance quote reveal is from the hugely controversial Untamed by debut author Anna Cowan. In a festival with the theme ‘The Thinking Season’, Cowan would have been a perfect fit. Untamed challenges gender stereotypes in romance and has triggered a lot of discussion around romance stereotypes, gender stereotypes, expectations in romance, and historical accuracy. It has polarised readers.

You can check out my thoughts on the book here, and you can check out an excerpt here. I also recorded a podcast for Destiny Romance in which I chat with Cowan and C. S. Pacat on gender stereotypes and anti-heroes in romance. You can listen to it here (episode 3).

This postcard was designed by the very talented Jennifer Wu. You can find out more about her work here.

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Kat Mayo is a freelance writer, podcaster, Twitter tragic, and compulsive reader. Her reviews have appeared in Books+Publishing, and she was the winner of the 2014 RWA Romance Media Award. She believes in happy endings, and kills fairies with glee.